Surface-condenser for marine engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

D. CARPENTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SURFACE-CONDENSER FOR MARINE ENGINES.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 11,661, dated September 12, 1854:.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL CARPENTER, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certainv new and useful Improvements in Surface- Oondensers for Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Ina-king part of this specification, in which# Figure l: is a` perspective view of the entire condenser; Fig. 2: a separate view of one of the tubes; Fig. 3: a perspective View of the whole series of tubes, attached to the tube sheet and clamped together; Fig. 4: a perspective view of the guard plate separate from the other parts; Fig. 5, a cross section of the entire Prcondenser; and Fig. 6: a section of the tube sheet and one tube on an enlarged scale, to represent the mode of attaching the tubes.

The same letters indicate like p arts in all the figures.

In my said condenser the tubes are bent around in ,the form of the letter U that both ends may be attached to one and the saine tube sheet or plate, and I cause the cold water to pass through the tubes, andthe steam to be applied on the outside of, and to pass through the interstices between the several tubes, and between the tubes, and the outer casing. The tubes are arranged in series, each series composed of several tubes arranged on the same plane and in succession one outside of another, and the several series placed side by side leaving narrow spaces between t-he several tubes that the steam in passing may be divided into thin sheets or currents the better to effect the rapid condensation. And the first part of my said invention consists in attaching both ends. of the tubes to the tube sheet by means f nuts tapped on the ends thereof when the said ends are made of less diameter than the body of the tubes, whereby I am enabled to employ this efficient mode of attachment to the tube sheet and at the same time bring the outer surface of the several tubes so near to each other, in a surface condenser, in which the steam is condensed on the outside of the tubes,'as to effect the rapid condensation of the steam.' And the second part ofv my invention consists in preventing the violent vibration of the tubes of a surface condenser in which the steam is condensed by passing across the series of tubes and in contact with the outer surface thereof, by combining with such a condenser, a guard plate or plates placed by the side of the series of tubes, and so located and provided with long and narrow apertures for the passage of steam, as that when the steam enters the condenser with a force dueto the vacuum it shall first strike the said guard plate and pass through the long and narrow apertures, by which it will be divided into4 thin sheets or currents to pass between the series of tubes, and thereby prevent the tubes from receiving the violent shocks to which they would be otherwise subj ect, and which would rapidly deteriorate them. And my invention also consists in still further preventing the injurious vibration of the tubes of such a surface condenser by combining with the several series of tubes, outside clamp bars and interposed bars,` when the said inter-A posed bars, and the inner surface of the clamp bars are so cross grooved as to embrace tlie several tubes and thus, by simply securing together the clamp bars on oppo-` site sides, eifectually bind together not only the tubes of each series but of the series to `11.;

each other, so that they will the better resist thevibrations to which they are exposed by the alternate entrancev and condensation of the steam. The said clamps andl bars under the combination specified, answer the addi`-,

tional purpose of dividingdiaphragins `to direct the steam in its passage across the tubes. l

In the accompanying drawings D, reps` resents several series or tiers of tubes :bent

in the middle in the `form of the letter U,*

each series being composed of` an equal number of tubes, and each successivetube in each series, from'the inside outward, being in succession `longer and 'of larger bend.`

The ends of these tubes are madeof reduced diameter and `tapped asiat (b, 55,) forming a shoulder, so that when inserted in holes in the tube sheet or plate (C) and secured by icc nuts (c) they will not only be firmly held` in` the vibrations to which they are exposed byV the alternate entrance-and condensation rof the steam.

f-In the space (x) between the two branches of the vtubes is placed a guard plate (y) bent in corresponding form to the tubes, and'vvith 5 the end secured to the tube sheet (C). This guard Vplate is placed within a short distance of the inner set of tubes and bent at (alto embracethe ends ofthe clamp bars.

(E) by which itl is lfirmly held in place. -It is perforated with longl narrow slots: (a) corresponding with the spaces between the several series of tubes. 'Thespace (C) between the two parts of this guard plate coinmunicates with kthe exhaust pipe tlii'oiighwvliich the steam passes from the engine. And as the steam enters this space with force,it strikes against the guard plate,

and passes in thin streams or sheets through the narrow apertures which directs it to the spaces between the series of tubes where, in passing through, it expands, surround the several tubes and is rapidly condensed, the water produced thereby passing down to, and through the aperture (13,) which leads to the air pump.

In front of the tube sheet (C) there are two water boxes (J, J',) one above and the other below the pipe The lower box communicates with the lower ends of Iall the tubes and is provided with an aperture (G) to receive cold water which enters, and passes through all the tubes and is discharged from their upper ends Ainto the upper box from which it escapes through an aperture inverted. In this way it will bel seen that the cold water circulates vrthrough the tubes, to cool them, and thatthe exhaust steam passes into the space (c) between the two parts of the guard plate which receives and resists the first shock of the steam vdue to the force with which it seeks to ll the vacuum, and that thence it spreads in thin sheets and passes amongst and around the tubes lby which it is rapidly condensed, the water produced thereby passing to and being drawn out of the case in the usual or any suitable manner. I prefer to havethe tubes of gradually larger size from the in side to the outside of each series, so that the spaces between the( several serieswill be largest near the guard plate where the steam first enters, and gradually reduced toward rthe outside; but this is not indispensable.

If it should be desired to place the second range of tubes opposite the spaces between Or if desired this maybe the first range, andin that order tothe outside, it ycan be readily done and a greater number of tubes may then be placed in a given space, all the parts of my invention being still preserved, for although the second range of tubes will be struck directly by ,the steam in passingthro-ugh the apertures inVVV the guardx plate still the violence of the @shock will be greatly reduced by the presence of the guard plate.

The advantages presented by a surface lover a spray condenser for marine purposes, have long been recognized; but as heretofore constructed, they have presented disadvantages of such serious nature as to prevent any considerable use of them; so important are the advantages however that the defects which are kmainly-Firstf-slower condensation than lby the spray,-Second- `the difficultyk of keeping the joints of the tubes, water and steam tight, and-Lastlythe rapid deteriorationI of the tubes-The first is due to the fact that the steam is not sufficiently subdivided when it meets the is a very imperfect conductor of caloric, nearly the wholey of the steam must be brought. in contact with the metallic surface before the condensation can be completed. The second is due to the alternate expansion and contraction of the tubes securely held at each end; and the last it is believed is due to the vibration of the tubes eli'eeting the metallic texture, but how is not well known. The first of these defects, I eectually remedy by what is partly old and partly new-viz.-by .applying the steam to the outside surface of the tubes instead of the inside, and therefore presenting a greater proportional amount of cooling surface, which means has long .been suggested, and by bringing the series of tubes closer together than heretofore; which I am enabled to do by combining therewith a mode of attaching the tubes which is eilicient and which presents all the strength required. v

The secondk defect was remedied long beforemy invention by a device which I have adapted which is the U formed bend of the tubes so as to attach both 4ends of the tubes to the same plate, thus enabling them to expand and contract without straining the joints; but this alone did not and can not produce an eiiicient condenser. And the condenser in which the steam is condensed outside the tubes, a mode of clamping together all the tubes by clamp bars outside ,and interposed grooved bars, by which all the tubes are bound4 together so as to present -a lateral. resistance equal to the aggregate `strength of 'all the` joints, for no one tube can be moved in any deviation without movcold ksurface of the metal tubes, and as steam many attempts have been made to overcome third I have remedied by combining with a ing the whole, whilst at the same time this system of clamping checks the vibration of each and every tube, and also answers the additional purpose of diaphragms to direct the steam across the surface of the tubes.

And I still further avoid the last named defect by combining with a system of tubes, thus arranged, the guard plate which receves the first shock of the entering steam and divides it into thin sheets or currents to pass between the tubes.

I am aware that a perforated guard plate has been used in combination with the ends of the tubes of a surface condenser to distribute the steam entering the tubes; and that a perforated plate has also been placed at the side of a congeries of tubes to distribute and subdivide the water passing to the outside of the tubes to effect the condensation of the steam inside of them; but in neither case was the plate used for the purpose, and under a combination and arrangement like that which I claim to have invented; and therefore I do not wish to be understood as making claim broadly to the use of a perforated plate in combination with the tubes of a surface condenser.

I am also aware that one series of tubes bent in the form of the letter (U) have been clamped together by two clamp bars, for heaters or evaporators of liquids; and therefore I do not wish to be understood as vmaking claim broadly to the use of clamp What I claim as `my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent in a surface confdenser, in which the steam to be condensed is made to pass outside of the tubes, is

l. Putting the tubes close together by making the two ends of the tubes, which pass through holes in the tube sheet, of a smaller diameter than the body of the tubes and securing them in place by means of nuts tapped onto the ends thus reduced, substantially as specied and for the purpose set forth.

2. I also claim in combination with a congeries or set of tubes, arranged as herein described to constitute a surface condenser which eifects the condensation ofthe .steam outside of the said tubes, a guard plate or plates with apertures substantially as herein described and between the exhaust port or inlet for the steam and the side or sides of the set of tubes; substantially as described and for the purpose of protecting the tubes from the violent concussions of the steam when entering, as set forth.

3. And I also claim as a means of resisting shocks and preventing the vibration of the tubes of a condenser constructed and operating substantially as herein described,

`the employment, in combination, of the outside clamp bars and interposed bars grooved `to embrace the tubes, so that when bound together they shall be rmly held to resist all lateral motion or vibration, whilst at the same time the clamp and interposed bars will further act as diaphragms to direct the steam across the set of tubes, as described. DANIEL CARPENTER. Witnesses:

D. II. CARPENTER, WM. H. BISHOP. 

